


Ereri Week Spring 2016

by Bittodeath



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Animals, Firsts, Love Confessions, M/M, Rain, Sakura (Cherry Blossoms), Song Lyrics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-09
Updated: 2016-05-15
Packaged: 2018-06-07 09:03:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 3,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6797704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bittodeath/pseuds/Bittodeath
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>My work for the Ereri Week Spring 2016.<br/>Prompts were:<br/>1 - Confession (Victorian AU).<br/>2 - Cherry Blossom/Flowers.<br/>3 - Firsts (Victorian AU).<br/>4 - Animals/Pets.<br/>5 - Rainy Day.<br/>6 - Love Song.<br/>7 - Day and Night.<br/>BONUS DAY: Smile.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 1 - Confession (AU Victorian Era)

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING: The last prompt will _not_ be tagged for the Ereri Week on Tumblr because it will NOT respect the rules. You can read all the others safely, but for the last one I'll have several warnings. It will be an Alternative of my AU The Institute. Warnings before the said chapter.

Levi’s sleep was light. Perhaps a bit too much, but he would be woken up by the slightest sound. But he was actually glad he was such a light sleeper – he would hear Eren, whenever he needed him. And the soft groans and cries he could hear from his lord’s bedroom were definitely the signal he was waiting for. He put on a warm jacket, grabbed the already lighted candlestick and opened the door to Eren’s room, closing it behind him. In the bed, far too large for a single man, Eren was writhing and wincing, calling without making a sound, words dying in a gargle when he tried to voice them. Another nightmare.

Levi put the candlestick on the night table and sat on the bed, pulling the young man to him until he could stroke his face soothingly, brushing his brown hair out of his face. The motion managed to wake up the young Earl, and Eren opened his eyes – frightened, full of tears and of visions of death. Levi muffled his cry with a hand on his mouth.

“It’s me, Eren, it’s only me. Everything is alright, you’re safe.”

The young man couldn’t say a single word, sobbing and gasping for air, his hands clenching and unclenching on the comforter. Deepening the crease between his eyebrows, Levi helped him sit up and rested his head against his shoulder, rocking him gently as he whispered soothing words. Finally, the young Earl calmed down, but Levi didn’t push him away, and Eren didn’t pull back.

“I can hear you heart”, Eren said, a soft smile in his voice.  
“Of course you can”, Levi grumbled. “I’m human.”  
“But it’s beating really fast, you know”, he said, “and strong too!”

The butler looked away, blush creeping on his cheeks and to his ears.

“Well maybe if you weren’t so cute it wouldn’t beat like this”, he grumbled in a low voice, half-eating his words.

The Earl raised two green, question-filled eyes to him.

“You think I’m cute?” He smiled. “I’m happy to hear that.”

Levi stared at him. The young noble disarmed him without even thinking about it and part of him hated that. The other part… Well he’d rather not dwell on the other part, or he’d do something he would end up regretting.

“Levi?”, Eren asked, and the butler realized he had been nodding off – he felt comfortable, with Eren in his arms, like it was meant to be _wait what? Meant to be? Stop it right here._  
“What is it, brat?”  
“It is normal to have affection for people close to you, right?”

Levi frowned.

“Of course it is.”  
“Good. I like you”, the young man stated, a smile on his lips as he nestled against Levi.

The shorter man scoffed, pushing him away reflexively.

“You mean, you appreciate me as a friend, is that it?” Levi carefully asked.  
“No. I don’t know how to explain it, but it is different. I don’t want to kiss my friends. So you are different.”

Levi hung his head, hiding his blush. He sighed.

“You’re hopeless”, he stated, sliding his fingers under Eren’s chin. “I like you too”, he added as he carefully kissed him.

It felt good. Natural. _Like it was meant to be._


	2. 2 - Cherry Blossom.

Levi cursed: his wound was deep and bled abundantly. He wasn’t going to survive this. Still, he kept on going. He wouldn’t let his lord’s enemies get the life he had spared, no, there was no way. He might be a Ronin, but he still had his honour. He stepped forward, following the spring, and collapsed under a tree.

_It’s not that bad_ , he thought as he raised his eyes to the clear blue sky and the cherry blossoms dancing around him. It could definitely have been worse.  
He pressed his hand to his side, his deep blue clothes were turning red, and he smiled. He had forgotten how beautiful the world was. He closed his eyes.

“Are you alright?” a voice asked.

His eyes snapped open and he realized he had fallen asleep: the sun was already low in the sky. He inspired: the smell of the cherry blossom was heady, but it was pleasant. Soothing. Something brushed his side and he jolted under the pain.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you”, the voice said again.

He turned his head and looked down: a young man was kneeling by his side, stitching up his wound. It was ridiculous, his wound was too big to be stitched, and he had lost too much blood to recover. The stranger had slid off his clothes, baring his torso, and his thin hands were working hastily.

“It’s no use”, Levi answered in a hoarse voice.

The young man looked up and Levi’s heart missed a beat: he had incredible green eyes, the same green as the leaves of the cherry tree he was leaning against. His skin was very pale, the same colour as the blossoms around them, and his hair was brown – the same brown as trunk. He was a pure beauty.

“I can save you”, the young man said. “I have the power to.”

Levi shook his head, an amazed smile on his lips.

“Who are you?” he asked.  
“I am Eren, the spirit of this tree”, the man said without looking up.  
“My name is…”  
“Levi”, Eren, said. “I know. Us trees know everything.”

Levi stared at him. A tree-spirit who had the form of a beautiful young man? Surely he was dead.  
The rumble of galloping horses broke the peace of the moment, and Eren looked around.

“Those are the men trying to kill you. They come to put an end to their mission.”

Levi shuddered and tried to straighten up his posture before attempting to get up. But the young man grabbed him under his arms.

“I’ve got you. I saved you. You’re mine, now.”

Levi opened his mouth to protest, but the young man was already disappearing in the trunk of his tree – and he was dragging him with him. The Ronin opened his eyes wide, even more when he saw his pursuers charging already. But the spirit was faster, and they disappeared, only leaving the large stain of Levi’s blood at the foot of the tree.

“Where is he?” the men asked.  
“ _Mine_ ”, the spirit growled, looping his arms around Levi’s chest, his breath brushing against his ear.

 

At the foot of a cherry tree, the men found the stained clothes of the Ronin they were pursuing, and his weapons: but of the man himself, not a trace.


	3. Firsts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victorian Era AU

Eren grabbed Levi’s hand and pulled him. The young Earl was wearing nothing but his long shirt, and the butler sighed.

“Alright, alright, just give me a second.”

He grabbed his own shirt and his trousers from the floor – clothes were scattered around the bed, so unlike him, and he couldn’t help but smile at the sight of the rumpled sheets on Eren’s bed. Sure thing, perverting an eager young noble was funny. But perverting an eager young noble who happened to be his lover was even more funny.

“You know your clothing is not decent, right?” Levi said, staring at the naked, pale legs of Eren.  
“Oh come on, it’s the middle of the night, everyone is sleeping! Besides, I’m the lord here, I do what I want.”  
“I have no intention of helping you if Erwin sees you, you know.”

Eren chuckled mischievously.

“Who said I’d need help? I know how to handle him.”  
“And if you happen to meet Mikasa?” Levi asked once more, buckling his pants.

Eren cocked his head and stared at him.

“Well, we’re promised to each other, so I don’t see how it could be a bad thing.”

Levi sighed loudly. Eren always managed to have what he wanted, and what he wanted right now was to be the first one to celebrate Levi’s birthday.

“We will _freeze_ ”, Levi protested once more. “There is snow outside.”  
“Don’t worry, we will not”, Eren said, tugging at his hand once more. “C’mon now, it’s almost time!”

Levi followed him, grumbling, though he couldn’t help but return his smile when Eren looked him with a falsely shocked air as they heard Marco’s low moans coming from Jean’s bedroom. At least they knew they wouldn’t meet those two somewhere inappropriate like it had already happened. He followed Eren to the living-room, where the young Earl revived the fire by himself, grabbed two folded blankets and draped it around Levi’s small body.

They both sat down near the hearth, huddling close, and waiting for midnight to toll. Eren turned to his lover and smiled:

“Happy Birthday, Levi.”


	4. Animals/Pets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren's soul is trapped in a bird.

Levi could hear the voice – it was calling for him, asking for some relief. Blaming itself for its mother’s death. But he couldn’t see the soul. No matter how much he looked around, he couldn’t see it. As a God of Death, he was supposed to set free this soul – and maybe, take it as one of his own, but he couldn’t even find it.

“I’m here”, the voice said once more, the smooth, rich voice of a young man.

A jay appeared in front of him and he extended his hand. The bird was beautiful with its vivid colors, and soft as well.

“You see me now”, the voice said, and Levi widened his eyes.  
“Eren? You’re… in that bird?”  
“Yes. My father trapped my soul here to save me, but I can’t get out on my own. Can you help me, please, God of Death?”  
“It will take some time. I don’t have the power to free you right now. But I’ll take care of you, don’t worry.”

He cradled the bird in his open palms and tucked it under his clothes, against his heart. That way, the young man would be safe and warm. He tended to the bird for several months, chatting with Eren and soon realising they had become friends. And one day, he felt it. He had replenished his power, he was now strong enough to set Eren free.

In a blast of light, the bird flew away, leaving behind Eren’s soul. It was a young man, just like Levi had guessed when they had first met. A young man with emerald eyes. His hand ruffled Eren’s hair, and he took his decision on a whim: he accepted Eren as his own, as family… _as a lover_ , he realized when the young soul joyously kissed him.

“Oi brat, you were less annoying as a bird”, he grumbled.  
“But now I can be the one who keeps you warm”, Eren replied in a sultry tone, pulling him against his chest. “Just like you did.”

Levi hid his blush. _I did the right thing._


	5. Rainy Days

Levi looked up from his laptop when he heard the door open violently and slam shut the next second. He sighed. There was only one person that would slam doors like that, and it was…

“Eren, I told you not to be so violent with the doors. Do you want to break another?”  
“Sorry”, Eren grumbled. “I was surprised by the rain.”

Levi looked to the entry.

“…And what are you precisely doing?”  
“Taking off my clothes. They’re drenched and I don’t want to catch a cold.”  
“Was it necessary to strip in the entry?”

Eren stared at him, his brown hair dripping.

“Yes.”

He sighed.

“Go grab a towel, I’ll pour you some tea.”

When Eren came back, he was still almost naked, his hair wrapped in a towel, and Levi had set a warm tea-cup on the table next to the couch. He was also holding a warm comforter.

“Come here”, he said, and Eren sat down, letting Levi make a spring roll out of him and pulling him into his embrace.  
“Is it warmer this way?” the smallest of the two asked, rubbing his lover’s back gently.  
“Yeah. Thank you, Levi.”

 

Eren put down the empty teacup and opened the comforter.

“C’mon”, he said, pulling Levi against him. “I want to cuddle.”

Levi snorted but complied: there was nothing better than warm cuddles on rainy days.


	6. Love Song

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi is the singer of a metal band, No Name.  
> Eren is a young opera singer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The songs are:  
> Not Invincible by Bullet for my Valentine
> 
> Lascia ch’io pianga, by Haendel (please, listen to Phillipe Jarrousky’s interpretation).
> 
> (Translation here: Let me weep  
> Let me weep for my cruel fate  
> And sigh after freedom!  
> And let me sigh  
> Sigh after freedom!  
> Let me weep for my cruel fate  
> And sigh after freedom!  
> May sorrow, out of pity, break the ropes of my sufferings,of my sufferings, out of pity.  
> And let me sigh after freedom!)
> 
> Not Strong Enough, by Apocalyptica ft. Brent Smith~~

Levi sighed, rubbing his arms. It was cold out there and he regretted that he hadn’t taken a warmer coat. And why the fuck would they need to repeat this early in the morning? He didn’t sleep much, but still, he liked to lay in bed with nothing to do! But no, they had to play at seven in the morning when it was freezing and other people were still sleeping, and now it was nine and he felt stupid waiting there for his bus with no cap and no scarf, just his leather jacket to protect him from the biting winter.

“ _And then they bury the bones_ ”, he hummed for himself.

There was no one outside. Of course, other people were not crazy, they knew better than to go out in this cold.

Suddenly, he heard _it_. His eyes widened and he turned around, searching for its origin: it came from an open window on the second floor of a house in the bourgeois style. He felt his heart thump loudly, exactly the same as it did when he sang on a stage.

“Lascia ch'io pianga mia cruda sorte, E che sospiri la libertà ! »

_I won’t let you cry_ , he thought, _I’ll set you free!_ But the voice didn’t stop and he felt his heart thump louder – it was a pure voice, like he had never heard before, crying for liberty and seeing it within its reach, unable to grasp it.

“E che sospiri, e che sospiri la libertà ! »

He stepped closer to the window, took a deep breath and answered:

“Lascia ch'io pianga mia cruda sorte, E che sospiri la libertà ! »

He knew the song – of course he knew it – but he hadn’t sing anything like this in years. _No Name_ , the band his sang for, played metal: opera was something entirely different. Still, he raised his voice the best he could to answer the sorrowful song of the unknown man. He heard someone moving and a figure appeared at the window, looking for him. It was a young man with brown hair and delicate features, who gently smiled at him.

“Il duolo infranga queste ritorte de miei martiri sol per pietà, de miei martiri sol per pietà », the guy sang, and Levi answered, his voice, rougher, melting with the high-pitched voice of the opera singer. “E che sospiri la libertà!”  
“Eren, what are you doing?” a voice called. “You’re supposed to work your breath, step away from the window or you’ll catch a cold!’  
“Yes, father”, the young man answered.

_May pain break the chains of my martyr, I beg you…_ Levi looked up: the window was still open and he could still hear the wonderful voice. Climbing up there would be easy. He breathed, smiled and soon found himself sitting by the window, staring at the young opera singer. He looked drastically different from him and Levi couldn’t help but feel uneasy, with his tattooed body, his undercut and combat boots.

“I'm not strong enough to stay away, can't run from you: I just run back to you. Like a moth I'm drawn in to your flame, Say my name, but it's not the same”, he sang, his heart pounding, and the singer opened his emerald green eyes wider.  
“You look in my eyes, I'm stripped of my pride, and my soul surrenders, and you bring my heart to its knees…”

Levi stepped closer, reaching out for the young man – _Eren_ – ‘s hands, grabbing them and pulling him close, staring into his eyes as they went on with the chorus:

“And it's killin' me when you're away, I wanna leave and I wanna stay; And I'm so confused, So hard to choose Between the pleasure and the pain. And I know it's wrong, and I know it's right, Even if I try to win the fight, my heart would overrule my mind, And I'm not strong enough to stay away…”

His hand brushed against Eren’s jaw – everything felt perfect, too perfect – as he brought his lips to his. The door slammed open.

“Who are you?! What are you doing here?!”

He snapped back to reality and stared at the man who was obviously Eren’s father. Two domestics arrived, grabbed his arms and roughly pulled him away from his lovely opera singer. He struggled, and reached out.

“There's nothing I can do, My heart is chained to you And I can't get free… Look what this love's done to me!”


	7. Day & Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU Victorian Era.

During the day, Levi is the silent and talented butler of the Jaeger household. But at night… _Oh, at night_ , Eren thought, he is my lover. Levi was distant from most of people, but not from Eren. Most of the domestics thought it was because Eren had saved Levi some years ago – it was partly true, yes. Only a few chosen knew the reality: that at night, Levi didn’t go to his room, but instead slipped inside Eren’s. What happened then was of no concerns for other people. And when the morning came, he was usually up and working, giving orders and making sure everything was clean.

Eren thought it was funny, how Levi changed his behaviour around him once they were alone. He allowed himself to be tender and gentle – without letting go of his sass and foul mouth, of course. It was not easy to see who he was really, but for the people who knew him, Levi wasn’t harsh or cold. Levi was a kind soul hardened by a difficult life, fearing he would fall if he let go of his control.

But sometimes, he would let go. It was rare, and Eren cherished those moments, when Levi opened his heart to him and shew him how beautiful his soul was. Eren only had caught glimpses of it, but it was enough. At night, when nothing but the moon lighted the way, it was enough. He knew how precious his treasure was. Perhaps because only when the light faded, he was able to see the little cracks in Levi’s armour, that let him shine softly but without wavering. It was not enough to pierce the harsh brightness of daylight. But it surely was enough to warm his heart during cold winter nights.

Eren looked up: Levi was pouring his afternoon tea, as usual. And a part of him wished that the night would fall, and the day never rise again. Levi was his treasure, but he was his only at night… and the nights always were too shorts.


	8. Smile (AU The Institute - Alternative Ending)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If you've read the Institute, you know what it is about.  
> If you haven't: Levi is a madman and a serial killer and Eren is trapped with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before reading this, consider a few warnings: this part will deal with Major Character Death, Torture, Violence and an Underaged Eren.

Eren realised his body hurt before everything else. It hurt the same way it hurt back then, when he had fought Levi for days without stopping.

Then he saw it.

Levi’s smile.

“Levi”, he called out. “I know you don’t want to harm me.”  
“Do I? Really?” Levi asked, his head cocked to the side, a grin stretching his lips. He crouched. “I believe that, on the contrary, I really want to hurt you”, he said, lifting the blade he used as a razor to catch the light. “I want to make you scream. I want to see pain in your eyes. I want to draw your blood. I want you to _beg_ me.” He leaned in closer, his lips brushing Eren’s. “I want to _hurt_ you.” His fingers grazed his cheek. “And I will probably kill you.”

Eren started to tremble. He could see how serious Levi was. He had known, of course, what the man had done. He knew how mad he was. Seeing it with his own two eyes, however, was something entirely different. He knew that if Erwin didn’t intervene, he would most likely die here. A cruel death.

“Why? Why, Levi, why?” he asked, tears streaming down his cheeks – he feared death, he feared pain, but most of all he feared the man who used to be the one he loved.  
“Why?” Levi repeated, playing with the knife. “Well, obviously, because I like you.”

Eren’s eyes widened. Levi rose the blade, his smile still stretching his lips. His arm fell. His grin widened.

_At least he is smiling_ , Eren thought.

 

Levi’s wails were maddening the others subjects, loud and uninterrupted. Erwin finally stopped before the window and his breathing caught in his throat.  
On the other side, Levi was rocking Eren’s lifeless body. Both of them were covered in blood, and the body was missing some parts. But the most frightening was entirely different.

The most frightening was the smile on Eren’s face. An angel’s smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this is the end, I hope you liked it!

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it, don't hesitate to comment and everything!


End file.
